CHAP, iv.] OVERSHOOTING. 169 



islands. Cuntyre is rich iu ferns also. A botanical friend, 

 while I was lingering on a recent occasion in a bend of Loch- 

 fyne, waiting for that prince of river steamers the newest lona, 

 picked up in a few minutes seven different varieties, and told 

 me that he had no doubt of finding double that number had 

 we had time to look for them. Our shepherd guide, while 

 descending with us from the mountain, seemed to hint that 

 the reason why Arran was not more generally allowed to be 

 built upon by the late duke was because of the game. I had 

 heard before that the duke thought of keeping the Island of 

 Arran as a gigantic game-preserve ; indeed it is admirably 

 suited for such a purpose, having an area of 165 square miles, 

 and being entirely isolated from any poaching population. 

 Our guide, on being asked, was quite of my opinion as to the 

 declining grouse supplies : we are overshooting our game birds 

 in the very same way as we have been overfishing our salmon. 

 Where are the grouse ? can only be answered by the death- 

 dealing brigade of sportsmen, gamekeepers, and gillies, who 

 every "twelfth" assemble on the hills and moors to perform 

 their annual shooting task. The grand brag over all the 

 cohort of guns is who will have the biggest bag ; and now, 

 what with overshooting and the mysterious disease that ever 

 and anon attacks the birds, we are likely to run out of grouse. 

 What a calamity ! not only to real sportsmen, but to all others 

 who have extensive tracts of moor or mountain land, the only 

 wealth of which has hitherto been the stock of game. Once 

 upon a time the capercailzie abounded in the Island of Arran, 

 and in many places of Scotland besides ; but that bird has long 

 been very scarce, and renewed attempts to breed it have not 

 as yet resulted in any great success. The wild boar was at 

 one time also to be found on the island, and there are still a 

 few wild deer that rush with fleet steps about the mountain- 

 sides ; and on rare occasions, although not very lately, eagles 

 have been seen on the mountain-tops, where ptarmigan are 



